Sarri keen to evolve Atalanta's identity
Maurizio Sarri intends to marry his own coaching style with Atalanta's philosophy after starting work in Bergamo ahead of his first Serie A season at the helm.
Sarri left Lazio in June after failing to lead them to European qualification last season, and he was swiftly named as Raffaele Palladino's successor at Atalanta.
La Dea finished seventh in Serie A last season, their worst finish since 2021-2022, and they will play in the Conference League play-offs at the start of next season.
Atalanta had finished in the top four in back-to-back campaigns prior to 2025-2026, also winning the Europa League in 2023-2024 and earning plaudits for its daring style of play under Gian Piero Gasperini.
Sarri is confident he can restore the Bergamo club to those heights, though he is unwilling to set specific expectations ahead of his debut season.
Speaking at an introductory press conference, as quoted by TuttoMercatoWeb via Football Italia, Sarri said: "As soon as they contacted me, I didn't hesitate for a moment to accept.
"I expect an important season. The means to do well are there, but we have to work.
"My sporting director [Cristiano Giuntoli] knows how I think about football and the characteristics of players for my game, then it's also true that Atalanta have their own philosophy.
"The quality in the squad is there, and as for the market, we'll see."
Sarri was in the dugout for 142 Serie A matches across his two stints with Lazio, between 2021 and 2024 and in 2025-2026.
The former Chelsea and Juventus boss is known for using a possession-based 4-3-3 system, and he is excited by the attacking talent in his ranks.
"We're trying [Lazar] Samardzic in a new position. Then I think of [Giacomo] Raspadori, who is a player I wanted to coach at Lazio too," Sarri said.
"I also think Atalanta have two important centre-forwards in [Nikola] Krstovic and [Gianluca] Scamacca. When we're at full strength, we'll have a slightly clearer picture."
Sarri's Atalanta tenure will open with back-to-back home games as it takes on Sassuolo and Bologna on the first two matchdays of the Serie A season, on 23 and 31 August.
